The US Army has taken new steps to make it easier for Sikhs, Muslims and other religious minorities to obtain approval to dress and groom themselves according to their religious customs while serving in the military, a spokesman said on Thursday.

Army Secretary Eric Fanning, in a memorandum signed this week, revised the uniform policy to set appearance standards for people seeking religious accommodations to wear beards, turbans and head scarfs.

The new rules also enable brigade-level commanders to approve the religious accommodations, an authority that previously rested with the Army secretary. Denial of a religious accommodation may be appealed as high as the Army secretary.

Sikhs in the US Army: Captain Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi poses in Times Square, New York

An approved religious accommodation will continue throughout the soldier's career and may not be revoked or modified without approval of the Army secretary, the memo says. The accommodation will not affect job specialties or duty locations, except in a few limited cases, the memo says.

'Our goal is to balance soldier readiness and safety with the accommodation of our soldiers' faith practices, and this latest directive allows us to do that,' Lieutenant Colonel Randy Taylor said in a statement.

The new rules were welcomed by the Sikh Coalition.

'We are pleased with the progress that this new policy represents for religious tolerance and diversity,' said coalition Legal Director Harsimran Kaur.

Sikhs have a long tradition of military service in India and elsewhere and have served in the United States as far back as World War One. But uniform reforms after the Vietnam War made it difficult for them to serve without violating the tenets of their faith.

The new rules permit religious accommodations for beards, but they may not be longer than 2 inches unless rolled or tied up. Soldiers with a religious accommodation may wear a turban or under-turban known as a patka.

Soldiers with religious accommodations still must be able to wear combat helmets and other protective headgear and must modify their hairstyles to achieve a proper fit.

The new rules allow head scarfs, or hijabs, for Muslim women. They must be of a similar color to the uniform and be free of designs or markings, unless they are camouflage and worn with a camouflage uniform.

Hair grooming rules have been amended to allow for braids, cornrows, twists or locks, the memo said.

Lose that beard soldier: How India differs from the US when it comes to Muslims, Sikhs and beards

By Harish V Nair and MailOnline India

Despite the fine tradition of Sikh and Muslim soldiers serving the Indian army both before and after Independence, the rules for male grooming are perceived to lag behind for many serving officers from India's minority communities.

In a move that suggests that it is easier for Indian-origin minority communities to practice their beliefs outside of India, last December The Supreme Court in India's capital upheld the sacking of a Muslim Air Force personnel for sporting a long beard and remarked that armed forces' regulations are meant to ensure discipline and uniformity.

The Indian court ruled in favour of Sikh's over Muslim personnel arguing that unless keeping a beard was an integral part of one's religion, as it is must in the Sikh community, no one employed in the military can be allowed to grow a beard.

Clause (b) of Regulation 425 stipulates that an airman will be permitted to grow hair or to retain a beard where the religion professed by him prohibits the cutting of hair or shaving of facial hair

Moving the Supreme Court against an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which upheld the Air Force's August 2005 decision to discharge him for his 'defiance of IAF rules', Airman Mohammad Zubair had asserted his right to retain a beard as a 'facet of his fundamental right to freedom of religion'.

But rejecting his plea, a bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur, Justices D Y Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao observed: 'the appellant having been enrolled as a member of the Indian Air Force was necessarily required to abide by the discipline of the Force.'

'Regulations and policies in regard to personal appearance are not intended to discriminate against religious beliefs nor do they have the effect of doing so.'

'Their object and purpose is to ensure uniformity, cohesiveness, discipline and order which are indispensable to the Air Force, as indeed to every armed force of the Union'.

The apex court ruled that unless keeping a beard was an integral part of one's religion, as it is must in the Sikh community, no personnel can be allowed to grow a beard. (Picture for representation)

When its view was sought, the Air Force had told the court: 'All Muslims do not carry beard. The practice of growing and keeping beard is optional and sporting a beard is not universally recognised in the religion of Islam.'

'Therefore, it cannot be said that Muslim religion prohibits the cutting of hair or shaving of the face of its member.'